PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 15, 2010

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000102

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 15, 2010

Summary: Coverage of a drone strike that killed several militants in
South Waziristan dominated front pages this morning. Several
newspapers reported rumors that Chief of Tahrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) Hakimullah Mehsud may be among those killed in the attack,
simultaneously carrying the TTP's statement that Mehsud is "alive,
safe and traveling." Prime Minister Gilani's address to the
National Assembly was also featured in today's headlines. The Prime
Minister condemned new U.S. screening measures as "humiliating and
against [Pakistan's] self respect," and stated that the U.S. cannot
win in Afghanistan without Pakistan's support. Dailies also
highlighted the Prime Minister's call for the U.S. to end drone
strikes and increase trade opportunities for Pakistan. Media also
reported opposition leader, Chaudhry Nisar Ali's statement that "no
official delegation from Pakistan should visit the U.S. unless
screening goes." U.S. Special Envoy Holbrooke's Pakistan visit
continued to garner media coverage for the second consecutive day.
His trip to Swat valley and meeting with Pakistan Army Chief General
Kayani were highlighted in nearly all major dailies, and his praise

for the people of Swat and the Pakistan Army received extensive
coverage. "Dawn" reported that, "according to a senior Finance
Ministry official," delays in Kerry-Lugar disbursements are caused
by "lack of coordination between U.S. administration officials."
Newspapers also reported Defense Minister Mukhtar's statement that
American forces used several bases in Pakistan for overt and covert
operations inside Afghanistan, but that the U.S. has now vacated all
airbases including Shamsi Airbase in Balochistan. Senator Carl
Levin's comments that Pakistani leaders privately back drone strikes
while publicly denouncing them continued to receive coverage. Urdu
daily, "Express," carried the U.S. Embassy's clarification that the
"U.S. is not pressuring Pakistan to abandon the Iran gas pipeline
project." The day's editorials echoed several themes raised in
Prime Minister Gilani's address to the National Assembly: respect
for Pakistan ("Nisar's Passion, Gilani's Pragmatism, Nation's
Disappointment" in "The News"); U.S. assistance and Pakistani
sovereignty ("Friends, Masters, and Bullies" in "The Daily Times");
and Pakistan's role in the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan ("The 'Do
More' Mantra" in "The Business Recorder"). Continuing the
condemnation of U.S. screening measures, Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt"
published a paranoid description of the security procedures in an
editorial entitled "U.S. Leader Richard Holbrooke's Lie." End
Summary.

TOP STORIES

News Story: Hakimullah Safe, Say Taliban: U.S. Drone Targets TTP
Chief - "Dawn" (01/15)

"A U.S. drone attacked a militants' hideout near the Afghan border
in South Waziristan on Thursday, killing 12 people and wounding
eight others. The pre-dawn attack in Shaktoi area triggered rumors
that Hakimullah Mehsud, the chief of the banned Tahrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan, had been killed. But TTP spokesman Azam Tariq dismissed
the reports as 'baseless.'... Anwer Iqbal adds from Washington:
Official U.S. sources refused to confirm or deny reports that
Hakimullah had been killed in the attack. "We don't know," said an
official when asked about the reports. AFP adds: Visiting U.S. envoy
for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke told reporters that
he could not comment on reports of Hakimullah's death."

News Story: PM Links U.S. Afghan Success To Pak Support; Gilani To
Take Up U.S. Screening Of Pakistani Nationals At Diplomatic Level -
"The News" (01/15)

"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has made it clear to the United
States that Islamabad is no mood to accept screening of its citizens
at American airports. 'The matter will be taken up at the diplomatic
level to seek reversal of this decision, as we will not compromise
on the country's self-respect, dignity, integrity and sovereignty,'
he declared in the National Assembly while responding to the points
raised by the opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.... The
Prime Minister said the United Stated cannot win the war in
Afghanistan without Pakistan's cooperation and it is well aware of
this fact."

News Story: No Official Delegation Should Visit U.S. Until New
Screening Laws Withdrawn - "Daily Times" (01/15)

"No official delegation from Pakistan should visit the U.S. until
the Obama administration withdraws Pakistan's name from a list of 14
countries, whose citizens are subjected to full-body searches at
U.S. airports, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, leader of the Opposition in
the National Assembly, said on Thursday."

News Story: Holbrooke Happy With Successes In Swat - "The News"
(01/15)

"The United States Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan,
Richard Holbrooke, on Thursday visited Swat and expressed
satisfaction over the achievements made by the Pakistan Army in the
operation Rah-e-Raast in the Malakand Division. Talking to local
Nazims and a delegation of hotels association, he said his
government would not leave Pakistan alone at this critical juncture
and would help in the reconstruction of the area and rehabilitation
of the victims of militancy. The U.S. envoy said the U.S. government
had provided $175 million for rehabilitation and reconstruction of
the damaged infrastructure, especially the schools and roads."

News Story: U.S. Used Pakistan Airbases For Afghan Operations -
"Dawn," "Daily Times" (01/15)

"Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar conceded on Thursday that
several bases in Pakistan had been used by American forces for overt
and covert operations inside Afghanistan, but claimed that all
airbases, including the Shamsi airbase in Balochistan, had been
completely vacated by the U.S. Answering questions in the Senate, he
also admitted that the bases had been used by U.S. drones. 'No U.S.
planes were now flying from Shamsi, Jacobabad and Pasni,' the
Minister said."

News Story: Lack Of Coordination Delaying Kerry-Lugar Funds -
"Dawn" (01/15)

"Lack of coordination among the authorities concerned in Pakistan
and the United States is delaying the disbursement of funds under
the Kerry Lugar Law (KLL). Although the law was passed by the U.S.
Senate on Sept 24, progress on implementation has been slow, sources
in the finance ministry told 'Dawn.'... According to a senior
Finance Ministry official, the main hurdle for the approval of
projects was lack of coordination between U.S. administration
officials. 'Robin Raphael, David Lipton and Richard Holbrooke have
different approaches about allocation of funds,' the officials said.
Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan,
supports the idea of executing all projects through the NGO sector
in Pakistan."

News Story: Pak Urged To Acknowledge Role In Drone Strikes - "Dawn"
(01/15)

"A senior U.S. senator urged Pakistan on Wednesday to publicly
acknowledge its role in drone attacks but other experts said they
did not see either Washington or Islamabad owning up the air
strikes. In a conference call with reporters from Dubai, Senator
Carl Levin scolded Pakistan's leaders for privately supporting U.S.
drone strikes while publicly denouncing them. 'What troubles me is
the public attack on these drone attacks,' he said. 'While at the
same time they've privately obviously not told us that we must
stop,' Chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said."

TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES

News Story: Kayani Briefs Holbrooke on Anti-Terror Fight - "Daily
Times" (01/15)

"U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard
Holbrooke called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani and discussed various issues of interest with him on
Thursday. Sources said the COAS briefed him about the ongoing
military campaign against terrorism and successful operation in Swat
and South Waziristan." (Story not available online)

News Story: Sherry Seeks NA Debate On U.S. Screening Rules - "The
News" (01/15)

"Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry
Rehman on Thursday submitted an adjournment motion in the National
Assembly Secretariat on the new screening regulations by the U.S.
Transportation Security Administration. While submitting an
adjournment motion on the subject for debate in the National
Assembly, Ms. Sherry Rehman said that these regulations not only
violated the fundamental human entitlements and the right to
privacy, these would also cause discomfort to the U.S.-bound
passengers."

News Story: JI Tribal Jirga Dubs Af-Pak Policy 'War Declaration' -
"Dawn" (01/15)

"A tribal Jirga organized by the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) in Lahore on
Thursday rejected the new U.S. Pak-Afghan policy as "declaration of
war and an aggression against the tribal people.' A declaration
adopted at the Jirga said the U.S. after facing a clear defeat in
Afghanistan, was targeting the tribal areas in revenge and the
imprudent Pakistani rulers were a victim of a conspiracy to chop off
this 'sword arm' of Pakistan only to please Washington."

News Story: JuD Declares Suicide Bombings Un-Islamic - "The News"
(01/15)

"The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) has declared suicide bombings un-Islamic
and said those involved in killing of Muslims were playing in the
hands of the U.S., India and Israel. 'Gun, grenade and suicide
attack is no solution to any problem in Pakistan,' said JuD Central
Vice-President Col (Retd) Nazir Ahmad Chaudhry while speaking at a
news conference in Peshawar on Thursday."

News Story: Blast Kills Up To 20 Civilians In South Afghan Bazaar -
"The News" (01/15)

"A suicide attack in a crowded bazaar killed as many as 20 civilians
and wounded 13 more in Afghanistan's restive southern Uruzgan
province on Thursday, government and army officials said."

News Story: Banned Outfits Working At Foreign Quarter's Behest -
"Daily Times" (01/15)

"In his opening address to the National Assembly, Interior Minister
Rehman Malik on Thursday described the recent spike in bombings as
'war against Pakistan,' and said banned organizations - such as the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the
Jaish-e-Muhammad and Al Qaeda - are working against Pakistan at the
behest of foreign quarters."

POLITICAL ISSUES

News Story: U.S.-India Deal; Pakistan Not To Accept Restrictions: PM
- "The News" (01/15)

"Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani Thursday ruled out U.S. win in
Afghanistan without Pakistan's help and that U.S. attitude of
imposing restrictions on Pakistan after striking a deal with India
is unacceptable. He said this while addressing the National Assembly
session in Islamabad. The Prime Minister admitted that despite
60-year long relations with the U.S., trust deficit exists between
the two countries."

News Story: Diplomats Now Need Permission To Move Beyond Prescribed
Limits - "Daily Times" (01/15)

"The government - in light of the prevailing security situation -
decided on Thursday that diplomats must obtain formal permission
from the Interior Ministry, through the Foreign Affairs Ministry,
for movement beyond the prescribed limits. The decision - which is
in line with the Vienna Convention - was made at an Interior
Ministry meeting to ensure appropriate security arrangements for
diplomats. The high-level meeting - presided over by Interior
Minister Rehman Malik - also decided that the use of vehicles by
diplomats must be in line with the prescribed procedure."

News Story: Zardari Reposes Trust In Sharifs - "Dawn" (01/15)

"'Reconciliation' was the agenda as President Asif Ali Zardari gave
his first audience to senior journalists in the city at a meeting on
Thursday. 'I trust them even if they do not trust me,' he told the
select gathering at the Governor's House, in reference to the
Sharifs of Lahore who have of late been again heard accusing the
president of breaking his promises."

ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT

U.S. Embassy Rejects Report on alleged pressure to discard Iran gas
pipeline project - "Express" (01/15)

"The U.S. Mission in Islamabad has rejected a news story published
in an English-language daily that in meetings with the Minister of
Petroleum Wednesday, American officials threatened to end support
for Pakistan's electricity projects and end assistance to facilitate
the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) if Pakistan proceeds
with a planned pipeline project with Iran. In a press release issued
on Thursday, the embassy rejected the report as completely baseless,
and untrue saying that, in fact, Mr. Holbrooke presided at a
ceremony launching a $16.5 million project to upgrade the Tarbela
Dam power plant."

News Story: Work On Diamer-Bhasha Dam To Begin This Year - "Dawn"
(01/15)

"Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf said on
Thursday that work on Diamer-Bhasha dam would begin this year and
the Asian Development Bank had given assurance of financing the
project. Presiding over a meeting of ministerial committee on the
project, he said the dam would open a new era of economic
development and prosperity."

MISCELLANEOUS

News Story: Americans To Hold Anti-Drone Sit-In Before CIA HQ - "The
Nation" (01/15)

"An American national and anti-war activist, Cindy Lee Miller
Sheehan, has announced to stage a sit-in in front of CIA
headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on January 16 to protest against
the growing drone attacks in Pakistan. In an exclusive interview to
'The Nation' from Texas, USA, on Thursday, Cindy Lee Miller said,
'We strongly condemn the killings of our brothers and sisters in
Pakistan and everywhere.'"

EDITORIALS/OPINIONS

Editorial: Red Lines Of Little Value, an editorial in the
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(01/15)

"While one would not doubt that Foreign Minister Qureshi discussed
with U.S. Special Envoy Holbrooke some clear 'red lines' in the
American-Pakistan relations, it is evident that his interlocutor
treated them with little respect.... It should be obvious to the
government that things would not change unless it puts its foot down
to make the U.S. realize how the 'key ally' in the war on terror
ought to be treated.... We must not be duped by the declaration of a
billion dollar of help in the execution of energy projects; the quid
pro quo should be simply unacceptable. It is to sacrifice the
Iranian gas pipeline project, as reportedly Mr. Holbrooke demanded
at the time of making the offer of assistance."

Editorial: Holbrooke Accosted, an editorial in the Lahore-based
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (01/15)


"U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke seems to be having a torrid
time in Pakistan. This comes as no surprise to us since reservations
and even anti-U.S. feeling are growing throughout the country. The
government, whatever its real views, seems also to feel the need to
placate angry public opinion by taking a tougher stance against U.S.
policies to visiting American dignitaries.... The issues that glue
together the tenuous alliance between Pakistan and the U.S. are
negated by the issues that divide them. The unstated difference that
is the subtext of all diplomatic engagements between the two sides
is the contradiction at the heart of Pakistan's policy of supporting
the Afghan Taliban, or at the very least turning a blind eye to
their activities from Pakistani soil, while initiating military
campaigns to crush their Pakistani counterparts.... Both Washington
and Islamabad need to address this invisible 'gulf' honestly if the
alliance is to endure."

Editorial: Ambassador Holbrooke's Rebuff To Foreign Minister
Qureshi, an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily
"Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (01/15)

"Responding to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's demand that
the U.S. must repeal the enhanced screening procedure for Pakistani
citizens at its airports, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke said that he
himself undergoes this procedure, therefore Pakistanis cannot be
exempted from these rule. But this flat refusal failed to constrain
Mr. Qureshi to feel any qualms. Let aside the foreign minister,
everybody knows how the U.S. responds to the statements of our
president and prime minister in which they demand Washington to stop
the drone attacks. Is it possible for the financial largesse and
self-respect to go side by side?"

Editorial: U.S. Leader Richard Holbrooke's Lie, an editorial in the
second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000)
(01/15)

"There is a difference between screening and strip search. The
travelers coming to America from 14 countries including Pakistan are
subjected to stripped inspection at American airports. People
coming from America tell that passengers from Pakistan are
specifically stripped naked and made to sit in a special room for
hours. American inspectors come to the room after many hours to ask
humiliating questions.... Holbrooke tried to be evasive by
describing the humiliating strip search as screening; he in fact
lied as per American tradition."

Editorial: The 'Do More' Mantra, an editorial in the country's
premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000)
(01/15)

"Speaking to the CNN upon their return home from last week's visit
to Pakistan, Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain expressed
satisfaction over Pakistan's commitment to the war against
terrorists. Lieberman, who is also Chairman of the Senate Committee
on Homeland Security, said that Pakistan is a full-partner in the
war on terrorism. And that Pakistanis are beginning to understand
the U.S. position that the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban are
inter-linked; and to defeat one, it is also important to fight the
other. As expected, the Senator did not merely show appreciation he
also made the usual 'do more' demand. He was more circumspect,
though, in making the demand as he said 'there's a possibility that
we'll see some more movement in North Waziristan.'"

Editorial: The Taliban, an editorial in the Karachi-based
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000)
(01/15)

"Clearly, the Americans have extended some cooperation to Pakistan
in the fight against the TTP: Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a drone
strike, military equipment was rushed to Pakistan to aid its
counter-insurgency operations over the last year and aerial
surveillance has been shared. The problem though is the way the
Americans and the Pakistani sides approach the Taliban problem: each
is obsessed with only part of the Taliban 'spectrum' and looks at
the rest as incidental to its concerns. But the distinctions are
artificial and meaningless in many respects - there are only
Taliban, and they need to be defeated."

Editorial: Pakistan Is Not Ignoring Its Defense, an editorial in the
Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir.
50,000) (1/15)

"While chairing a meeting of the National Command Authority, Prime
Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has said that Pakistan is a
nuclear power. He added that there will be dangerous consequences if
India engages in any adventurism.... The fact is that some powers
are prodding India towards adventurism against Pakistan. India must
act wisely and understand the ground reality. Instead of being used
by another power, India should hold its national interests
paramount."

Editorial: PM's Timely Warning To India: India Will Be Responsible
For Devastation Caused By The Nuclear Bomb, an editorial in the
second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000)
(01/15)

"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that India should not go
for an adventure with Pakistan, for it would be dangerous for
India.... Prime Minister Gilani has rightly made it clear to India
that any adventure with nuclear Pakistan could prove to be very
costly for India."

Editorial: Pakistan's Timely Warning To India, an editorial in the
center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (01/15)

"Pakistan has rightly made clear Pakistan's strategy for peace in
comparison to India's war mongering. Now we have to see what help
our war on terror 'companion' America offers to Pakistan and how
does it stop India from nurturing war ambitions."

Opinion: Nisar's Passion, Gilani's Pragmatism, Nation's
Disappointment, an op-ed by Mohammad Malick in the populist, often
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (01/15)

"It was a good suggestion by Nisar that for starters unless U.S.
reviewed this decision all parliamentary visits to United States
should be stopped. A similar view was also expressed by Senator
Mushahid and MNA Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday eve in Geo's weekly program
'Kehnay may kya hurj hai' (there is no harm in saying this).... In
his latest visit, a somewhat sincere sounding Ambassador Holbrooke
was repeatedly heard asking people about the causes of growing
American unpopularity despite all that America was doing in this
area. The answer is misleadingly simple actually and one also
spelled out later by the Prime Minister when he advised the
Americans to concentrate on giving more respect to the people and
the country, instead of relying on the factor of increasing
financial assistance."

Opinion: Friends, Masters And Bullies, an op-ed by Zafar Hilaly in
the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir.
10,000) (01/15)

"Friend, master or bully, Pakistan's establishment is ever welcoming
of U.S. assistance. This suits our psyche. We have always sought to
gratify our desires with the least exertion. This accounts somewhat
for our lack of success economically.... Hence, today our dependence
on the U.S. assistance is well nigh total. Military assistance, the
Kerry Lugar handout, U.S.-solicited help in the form of IMF bailouts
and access to the U.S. market and - at the US's urging - that of the
EU, is what is keeping Pakistan's economy afloat.... Nor does the US
influence stop at the economy. In our internal affairs too the U.S.
has primacy. Holbrooke assumed as much when he said last week that
if necessary, the U.S. would be happy to play a role in bringing
about better understanding between rival political forces within the
country. And it takes only a cursory knowledge of our political
set-up to realize that all major parties - including the armed
forces, which are the largest political party in the country - are
decisively swayed by American desires.... Obama is far too busy
trying to prove that he is not a wimp to act as a statesman.
However, had Pakistan spelt out the terms for its cooperation, a
great deal of the political pressure on the government not to toe
the disastrous U.S. policy of continuing to expand the war would
have abated.... Instead, our lack of a coherent policy suggests that
given sufficient American pressure Pakistan will assuredly relent;
and that whatever we may say about U.S. incursions into Pak
territory, we are malleable. All of this bodes ill for the future
and, worse, confuses the public what precisely is the government's
position."

Opinion: Peace, But Only With Honor, an op-ed by M.A. Niazi in the
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000)
(01/15)

"The peace moves have to be seen in the context of an overwhelming
U.S. desire to end disputes between the two countries on any basis
that would satisfy India, which is supposed to be the United States'
main counterweight to China in the region. The U.S. does not grasp
that the Indian establishment wants to achieve the freedom of action
that is supposed to come with great-power status, and does not want
the U.S. tutelage beyond a certain point. Be that as it may, the
U.S. wants Pakistan to settle its disputes with India, on Indian
terms if necessary.... However, if it rubberstamps an unjust
solution cobbled together in New Delhi and approved in Washington,
with no input from Muzaffarabad or Srinagar, it will not solve the
problem, but merely provide the grounds for another grievance."

Opinion: Obama's Rhetoric And Reality, an op-ed by Aijaz Zaka Syed
in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir.
20,000) (01/15)

"America's wars and empire project seem to be expanding under its
Nobel laureate president. While Iraq and Afghanistan are still
burning and Pakistan is hurtling down the precipice, the hawks at
Pentagon and Capitol Hill are sharpening their claws for Yemen and
Somalia.... Unfortunately, what's happening today in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim world is
happening on Obama's watch. He may not like it but it's past time he
took responsibility for America's policies and actions. We cannot go
on blaming everything on Bush, especially when he isn't around. Will
this ever change? As Obama completes one year in White House next
week, it is time for him to think long and hard where the U.S. and
the world are headed under his leadership. However, it's still not
over yet. He can still take charge of his administration and free it
from the oppressive legacy he's inherited. Obama can still lead the
world to the dawn of hope and peace that he once promised us."

(All circulation figures are based on estimation)
Patterson